Campaign with “water, lights and more greenery” The four contenders for the municipality: Brojka, Fagu, Albali and Ceka unveil their promises TIRANA—Rivals draw their weapons. The four contenders for Tirana’s municipality are revealing parts of their plans for taking control of the Albanian metropolis. Lights, water, roads, greenery and kiosks are the issues that bring them together in the October race. Although some are reserved about their strategy—which appears set to be unveiled forcefully in the campaign days—Brojka, Fagu, Ceka and Albali are announcing their first promises to voters, from whom they also expect votes on 20 October. While the Democratic candidate’s priority remains the vision of Tirana in the year 2000, the future of kiosks is the priority for his Socialist opponent, Fagu. “Saving Tirana from an ecological and urban catastrophe” is candidate Ceka’s motto as he lays out his plan for the assault on the Municipality. The hard-line Republican Albali wants a capital where there is “an iron-fisted fight against corruption and joint governance of the ‘primus inter pares’ kind.” But it will be the green ballot paper on 20 October that brings to the fore the person who will lead Tirana at the end of the century.

“Violations in May, caution with the local elections” TRIANE—Albania is being tested once again at the Council of Europe. It was a 30-minute session that put Tirana “to the test.” A report by MP Rüffi reviewed the visit to Tirana by the “Finsberg” mission at the end of last August. “The laws are better now, but the October elections are still a concern.” This was the assessment of the European MPs. On page 3 Council of Europe headquarters

Korçë, attack at midday KORÇË—Innocent passersby once again fall victim to battles in the streets. Three people were wounded in Korçë on Sunday morning, when an unidentified person opened fire with a machine gun. He wanted to kill two young people travelling on a motorcycle, but the bullets struck passersby. They were treated in hospital and, after surgery, are out of danger. Police suspect that the attack was carried out for revenge, but have not yet arrested the perpetrator. On page 5

“The President should be a symbol of unity” Socialists oppose the PD campaign being launched by the head of state PD launches its blue campaign Democrats repeat their number one TIRANA—PS again criticized the launch by the country’s top official. “Berisha has broken the law” is the refrain around which politicians from the largest opposition party have voiced their political anger. “Contrary to the electoral law, the campaign was launched by the President and the Prime Minister,” PS declared in a protest addressed to the Chair of the Central Election Commission, Tereza. PS headquarters On page 3

THE COMMISSION DECIDES TIRANA—Lushnja will not play on its own field for 10 matches. A drastic measure by the Albanian Football Federation following the incidents—

Durham in a tower in the north The “queen” of the highlanders returns On page 7

The DP launches its blue campaign TIRANA - The Democrats take to the campaign trail. A big show got it underway yesterday, when people at the Lake Park hills listened to political speeches and plenty of music and dancing. The party’s highest-ranking leaders conveyed confidence and assurances of victory beneath a gray September sky. “Let’s win every vote,” began his political speech the head of state, Berisha. President Berisha touched on the main directions of the DP’s political campaign, also giving his forecast for the December elections. “It will be the most profound one we have experienced in our political lives,” said the head of state, also outlining the direction in which the blue party in power would race. On page 3

TIRANA - Lushnja will not play on its home Football Federation following the incidents in the Lushnja-Flamurtari match. This is what the disciplinary commission decided at an extraordinary meeting. In fact, the meeting began on Saturday evening and continued on Sunday and throughout Monday morning. According to sources within the AFF, though unconfirmed, the Lushnja team has been banned from playing on its home field for 10 Championship matches. By a simple calculation, this means they will begin the football season in their own city in the sixth week of the second phase, against Laçi. In fact, it was a very lengthy meeting of the disciplinary commission of the Albanian Football Federation, which examined all the incidents that occurred in the third week of the national championship. Naturally, the most unprecedented incident took place on Lushnja’s field, where the match between Lushnja and Flamurtari was stopped for about 15 minutes. Malko, why! A fan struck the assistant referee, Krenar Brahja, from the stands. He was rushed to hospital with several stitches in his head. After this, the fourth referee, Luan Zylfo, had to enter the field to continue officiating the match. But this was not the only incident. Later, a quarrel between Çuko and Behari once again disrupted the situation on the field, which had already been highly tense as a result of the referee’s injury. However, a press statement from the AFF’s discipline department is expected today, explaining all the measures taken by this commission.

SPECTACLE TIRANA - The beauty will conduct the Miss-Europe pageant in Albania. On page 4

FROM THE WORLD ATHENS - He has won the prime minister’s mandate in Greece for the second time. On page 2

SPORT TIRANA - Juve, Inter and Parma are at the top of the Italian football championship. Luan, after a victory against Bologna, seems to have emerged from the crisis. Paolo Sousa will not play for Borussia Dortmund until the end of February, when the second phase begins. Jacques Villeneuve has won the Formula 1 race in Lloret, Portugal, France. “Su…” will be the 1996 Davis Cup final. They have respectively beaten Italy and the Czech Republic. On page 6

RARE The Black man: “I want a job in Albania” The letter arrives at the Institute of Statistics TIRANA - “Please help me come and work as an immigrant in Albania.” It may sound made up, but it is entirely true. The request came from a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, who is currently residing temporarily in New York, United States of America. He asks the Albanian institutions to help him learn about the procedures for immigrating and possibly finding work in Albania. A letter signed by citizen Gerard Les Pierres, a 37-year-old Black man and bachelor, was sent, “by mistake or intentionally,” to the address of the Institute of Statistics. The letter, handwritten in English, was accompanied by a photocopy of his passport and a recommendation from the authorities of Trinidad and Tobago, a state made up of 13 islands in Central America, south of Cuba. “I am interested in immigrating to Albania,” Les Pierres writes. “Could you tell me what I need to do regarding employment procedures in your country?” Although he gives no details about the reasons that prompted him to try an immigrant’s life in Europe’s poorest country, or about his profession or abilities, the Black man ends the letter by stressing that this is “very urgent” for him and that he “can hardly wait to receive a reply.” Only he can say what kind of work he might do in Albania. But one of his physical characteristics is his height: two metres and two centimetres. He could work as a waiter or play for a basketball team. Ministry of Labour